"David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God.”-1 Samuel 30:6
When things get hard in your life, who do you turn to for help? Where do you find strength when difficulties arise? In 1 Samuel 30, we read of a very troubling time for David. He and his men had been away from their hometown of Ziklag on a mission to assist the Philistine army. In the end, the Philistine commanders rejected both David and his men’s help in the battle. Dejected, David and his "crew" headed back to Ziklag. Sadly, when they arrived home, they entered their town to find it burned to the ground. Everything was destroyed. Not only that, but their families had all been abducted by the Amalekites. To take things from bad to even worse, David’s own men were very upset, irritated, and starting to place the blame on David. They even began talking about killing him. What a rough day! Can you imagine how beat down David must have felt in that moment? In the thick of the mess, what did he do next? Where did David find help and strength? Fortunately, we're clearly told what David did next. “...But David found strength in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).
David’s example in this story is truly inspiring! He didn’t flee from the difficult circumstances he was encountering. He didn’t ignore the problem at hand. He didn’t complain, blame, or turn to the bottle. Instead, David found strength in the Lord. He received help from God Almighty. It is in Him alone that we can all find truly lasting, sustaining comfort and power in any situation. Here’s how Psalm 121:1-2 puts it: “I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” God alone, Creator of all things, offers the kind of strength our souls desperately need each and every day. No wonder God led Paul to write this encouragement and instruction in Ephesians 6:10: “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”
May we be reminded—The Best One to turn to for help, the Ultimate One to run to for strength, is the Lord. We, just like David did many years ago, can go to God at any moment for His power. We can cry out to Him in prayer like David did in Psalm 18:1, saying, “I love You, Lord; You are my strength.”
Godspeed, friends!
-Scott